Detecting device



B. R. EDWARDS.

DETECTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 5, 1926 Aug. '31 1926.

, HIIIIIlIIlmIn llllllllillllllllllllll unimi!!! Patented Aug. 31, 1925.

BARTON REEVESy EDWARDS, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

DETECTING DEVICE.

Application filed January 'ihis invention relates to detecting. devices The device which I have invented is to be secured to a vehicle such, for example, as an automobile.

An object of my invention is the provision of means for detecting an automobile driver who hits a person with his car, and drives on withoutl caring for the injured person. Y y

Vith the foregoing object in view, together with such other objects as may subsequently appear, this rinvention. resides in the construct-ionand arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which-,-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a bumper of an automobile, this bumper being of special construction, in combination with means for. detecting a hit and run driver. Y

Figure 2 is an elevational view of part of the fender with partof the bumper shown in Figure 1 and the apparatus 4associated therewith.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of a device employed in my apparatus, the front of the device being partly broken away.

Figure t is a section taken on line 41-4 of Figure Figure 5 is a sectiontaken on line 5-5 of Figure 9., and l Figure 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3. 4

Referring to the drawings for more detailed description thereof, the apparatus of my invention comprises a box 10 having a back 11, a front 12 and ysides 13 and ll.k The box also comprises partitions 15 and 16 spaced apart, parallel to each other, and parallell to the sides 13l and 14:. These partitions extend from the top to the bottom of the box. A bottom member 17 extends from the front to the back of the box and from the side 13 to the partition 15.V Another bottom member. 18 extends from the front to the back of the box and from'the side 14 to the partition 1 6. `The box also comprises top members 19 and 20 extending inwardlyr vfrom the sides 13-and le respectively and terminating respectively at points `21 and QQ; The top members 19 and 2O are integral with the front 12 of the box.

The gap'between the ends of the top members 19fand 20` is closed by top member 23 r which is hinged to the back 11 ofthe box,

the hinge being designated bythe numeral 51, 1926. serial No. 79,426.

Q4 and clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4. Midway between the partitions land 16 the partition 25 is disposed, this partition being parallel with the partitions 15 and 16 and extending from the top of the box toV a point 26 near the bottom thereof, as shown in Figure 3. The partition 25 extends from the back of the box forwardly to a plate 27 which is transversely disposed to' the partitions 15 andv 16 and 25 and contacts with the partitions 15 and 16. VThe plate 27 ex-. tends from near the top of the'partitions 15, 16 and 25 to the bottom of thepartition 25, and is provided with apertures 29 and 30, best shownin kFigure 6. The plate 27 is set in from the front edges Aof the partitions 15 and 16 so that a small pane of glass 31 may be disposed btween tlieplate 25 and the front of the box. The `.front of the box is provided with spaced aperturesvllf and 121 opposite theapertures 29 and 30 in the plate 25, and opposite the pane of glass. The partitions 15, 16 and 25togetlierwith the. plate 27 and the hinged top member`23 form compartments 32 and 3,3. These compartments are normally Vclosed at their bote toms by means hereinafter described.4 The compartments 32 and 3,3 may be filled with oblong pieces of metal or slugs 'shown in Figure t'. These metal pieces or slugs bear indicia for identifying the owner` or driver ofthe vehicle, the indicia lbeing for example the number of the license held by the owner or driver of the vehicle.

According to my' inventiom provide means for allowing these identifying plates to drop out of the box when the automobile hits a person, such means being hereinafter described. The device of my invention is intended to be under the control of the police authorities, who will place any desired number i) tl of identifying plates in each of the com- Y p-artments 32 and 33 and record the. number of identifying plates so placed, this number being .preferably unknown to the owner of the vehicle tofwhich the device ofl my invention is secured.. Whentheplates fall on the road, one or more. may be picked up by the person hit, if such person is not seriously injured; otherwise, the plates may be picked up by a policeman, or other person, who will return the identifying plates orchecks to the police authorities. If the driverof the vehicle stops long enough toV find all the plates, there is, of course, a greater prob.-

whether heI has piclred'up all of them and,

at least, it will be ditiicult to find some of the plates in the night time, which is theA time when moet ot the hit and run accidents oc.cur.--"-l 1 Y lln thedevice ot my invention l provide a pair or' horizontal, slidable members 40.

t One of these horizontal members 40 slid-- ably passes 'through the sidey 13 ot' the box and." through the partition 15, while the other member 40 passes slidably through theside 14 otthe'box and through the partition 16. These members 14() arenormally pressed inwardly with their inner ends contacting lwithopposite sides of the parti tions 25.V The means provided for so posi tioning` the members 40 consists offra pair of coiledsprings 41, each, of which surrounds oner` of the members 40. The end offone of the coiled springs-41 bears against the; inner'face of the side 13 of the box, While its other end bears against an enlargement 42 of one yot the members 40 and the other` coiled spring has -its ends bearing against the inner face of the side 140i the box and against enlargement 42 ot the other member 40. l

`It will thus be appreciated that the compartments 32 and 33 are normally closed kat-their bottoms by the inner end portions of the members 40. Grooves Aare Jformed in the upper sides of the members 40 in which grooves are pivotally mounted latches 44, to the under faces of which are secured'flat springs 45 tending to push the latches `upwardly.V lVhen the horizontal slidable members'40 close the bottoms of the compartments 32 and 33, theinner ends of the latches extend through the partitions 15 and 16. but when the members 40 are' pulled outwardly as hereinafter described, the pivoted latches are pushed upwardly by the flat springs 45. The outer ends of the members 40 which are outside of the box are secured to ropes or chains 47 the outer ends of which are secured to ends ot cams Y 48 which are pivoted to brackets V49 which are secured to trame membersk 50 of an automobile of other vehicle. The cams 48 pass through a rear bumper'member 52, which is secured tothe brackets v49.` The device ot my invention further comprises a front bumper member 53 which has its end portions 54 bent backl and thenlbent jinwardly at 55. .to the rear and in contact with the rear fender member 52. To the front tace of thetorward. bumper member 53 are secured by means ofbolts 55 angular mem- Vbers 56 comprising horizontal portions 57,

which Lextend rearwardly beyondthe Arear l in Figure 5.

bumper member 52 and have their ends providedwith slots 59 tapering rearwardly to receive `the upper ends of members 60 which are pivoted by means ofpins 61 in the slots 59, and which are pivoted at their lower vends by means of pins 62 between lugs 63 which extend rearwardly from plates 64- `ber 53' hits a person, the position taken by the iront bumper member and `the parts attached thereto is that Ashown in dotted lincs The rearward motion which the ront bumper members 53 has when a person is hit moves the forward portions of the cams 4S inwardly so that the cams are effective to pull the ropes 47 outwardly.

VThe pulling force on the ropes 47 is effective to pull the horizontal slidable rods 40 Voutwardly so that their A inner ends are withdrawn from the compartments 32 'and 33 whereby 'Y the identification means in the chambers 32'vandl 33 'fall to the road. The outward motion of ythe rods 40 results, as previously described', in the latches 44 being pulled upwardly against the outer faces of vthe partitions 15 and V16 respectively, thus locking the rods 40 in their outermost posi-r tions," and preventing their return until the box is opened and the latches pressed back entirely into their respective slots by means of pins 67 to which are secured plates 68 which are normally pressed upwardly into the positions shown inFigure 3 by coiled ysprings 69 which encircle the pins and press on the plates 68 land on plates 70 through which the pins pass and which are secured tothe back 11 of the box. The pins also pass, through plates 72 which are secured to the back of the box. The hinged top portion 23 of the box has a tongue 75 provided at its ends with slots, each of which is enL gaged by a pivot member 76 secured to the :front of ythe box. The upper portions of themembers 76 are-provided with apertures through which a chain ispassed, the ends vof thechain being locked together by means of alock 77 shown in Figure 2. rfhe box is thuslloclred to prevent its being tampered with and' `it is intended thatr keys to this lock. shall be held only by the police au thorities.

It will thus be appreciated that when the identification means have fallen out of their compartments, the bottoms of `the compartments which consist of the inner end portions ot the rods 40 cannot be placed back in conditiomjbeing locked by the latches '44 which'cannct. be returned to their normal position since the box is locked andthe pins 6'?? cannot be operated. It will furthermore be realized that after the identification means have 'fallen from the box due to an accident` the fact that there are no identification means in the compartments .82 and 33 may be noted by the police authorities at a glance. lThe owner of the vehicle may then be required to account for the condition of the device which .ilrould have previously been reported to the authorities.

rlhe back and front plates are provided with apertures so that the front of the boX may be secured to the back thereoi` by means of rivets 80.

Although I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of' various changes; and I reserve the right to employ lsuch as may come Within the 20 scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1.In combina-tion, a movable bumper,

identification means, means for holding the n identification means, and means actuated by a movement .of the bumper for releasing the identification means from the holding means, the last mentioned means comprising a cam actuated bya movement of said fender, a slidable rod actuated by said' cam, an end of said rod forming` the 'bottom of said holding means whereby said identification means are released When said rod is moved. e

2. In combination, a movable bumper, identification means, means for holding the identification means, and means actuated by a movement of the bumper for releasing the identification means from the holding means, the last mentioned means comprising a slidable rod` an end of which forms the bottom of said holding means whereby said identiiication means are released When said rod is moved.

BARTON REEVES EDVARDS. 

